12 steps to managing chronic pain

Nurse Linda Barkhouse teaches people with chronic pain how to manage their condition with minimal use of medication. Here Barkhouse shows some of the teaching material she uses. (DAN JANISSE / The Windsor Star)

More and more Canadians are living with chronic pain today, but with concerns about over-prescription and abuse of opioid-based pain killers, what other solutions are out there to manage the condition?

Statistics Canada data suggests about 15 per cent of adults suffer from chronic pain, though the proportion jumps to 26 per cent among seniors.

Linda Barkhouse is a registered nurse who worked for years with chronic pain sufferers in Windsor and witnessed first-hand the how addictive pain medication had become among her patients. She estimates chronic pain affects 40 per cent of people in Windsor-Essex.

Barkhouse now teaches courses on chronic pain management (with appropriate use of medication) at St. Clair College. The classes are open to the public and health care professionals.

These days, we tend to over-medicate pain, Barkhouse said, and the social consequences are dire. Pain serves as a signal that something is wrong in our bodies, she said. Rather than try and mask all that pain with just pills, lifestyle changes can help us manage the pain and heal the underlying problem.

Just how do we do that? Barkhouse recommends the following steps to help manage chronic pain:

Come up with a plan: You need to develop a comprehensive plan for healing, Barkhouse said. Managing chronic pain doesn’t just require a physical healing plan, it often also means addressing anxiety, depression, family or financial problems the chronic pain might have caused, for example. “It’s very much a learned skill and a process,” she said.

Be realistic: Find your “best state of wellness” and work towards that, Barkhouse said. This is not the same thing as resignation, but it does require accepting the circumstances rather than ignoring the pain.

Breathe: In order for tissues to heal they need oxygen. Breathing lowers tension and blood pressure and helps muscles relax. We’ve forgotten how to breathe fully, Barkhouse said, but it’s important if we want to heal.

Visualize: Visualize what you can do and not what your pain keeps you from doing. Set small, achievable goals, Barkhouse said, and focus on your strengths.

Stretch: Muscles that are strong and flexible support a stronger joints and bones. Gentle stretching can be helpful, but keep in mind you might require some extra guidance from a physiotherapist or kinesiologist to find appropriate exercises.

Gentle physical activity: Try Tai Chi, aqua fit, walking or gentle yoga. “The concept no pain, no gain does not apply in chronic pain,” Barkhouse said. The trick is to do whatever feels good – and there are mental health benefits too.

Keep your mind active: Do things you enjoy or learn something new. “It really is about the brain,” Barkhouse said. Pain is interpreted and perceived deep within the brain, so by engaging our brains in activities we enjoy, it translates to nice feelings which then translate into positive physical sensations.

Eat properly: “Nutrition is so important,” Barkhouse said. Eating “real food,” as she calls it, reduces inflammation in the body and increases the intake of healthy nutrients. Fresh vegetables and fruits and whole grains are full of the right nutrients your body needs to heal. Here’s where the Canada Food Guide comes in handy.

Get some sunlight: Try and spend an hour each day outside. This is connected both to exercise and nutrition, since being outside gives us a little vitamin D boost (which helps alleviate depression) and keeps us gently active.

Rest: Make sure you sleep enough and make sure you’re sleeping in bed and not, say, on the couch. Don’t wait until you’re extremely tired before going to sleep.

Be patient: No single event or action will cure you. It comes in time, Barkhouse said.

Get support: Find a good confidante and motivator because you’ll need to vent and you’ll need some motivation to get through it. Barkhouse said that in her experience, those of her patients who participated in pain management classes and support groups had quicker recoveries because they had people with whom to share experiences and useful advice.

For more information about pain management classes at St. Clair College, visit the continuing education programs section at stclaircollege.ca or call (519) 972-2727 ext. 4735.

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